Worker who overcame the system

After more than 4 years of fight for justice, Alyaksandr Klimau, the worker of Homel chemical plant and a member of the REP Trade Union, succeeded in recognition of the injury received by him as an industrial accident.

After numerous denials, Homel regional directorate of the state department of labour has finally written a conclusion that his injury was a labour accident, and the employer, Homel chemical plant, filed an act called H-1 to the worker.

Praca-by.info has been told about that by Leanid Sudalenka, a legal inspector of the REP Trade Union in Homel region, who represents Alyaksandr Klimau.

The law professional of the trade union has informed that now the worker has a right for receiving monthly insurance payments from the state company Belgosstrakh.

- Alyaksandr Klimau is to be examined by the medical rehabilitation expert board (MREK), which is to establish the degree of loss of his capacity for work. An individual coefficient is to be determined for him as well – the average wages over the period of 12 months before the injury. On the grounds of these figures the monthly insurance benefits are to be calculated for Klimau, and he is to receive this sum until his death. Besides, he has a right for a one-time payment, and its amount is to be determined by Belgosstrakh as well. Undounbtedly, the worker must be compensated the payments he had not been receiving for the four years, when he had to prove that he was right. And finally, Klimau has a right for compensation for moral damages from his employer, – Leanid Sudalenka explained.

The layer of the trade union stressed that it is necessary to fight for one’s rights, not to lose heart, even in the cases when a worker faces the entire system, and chances for a victory seem improbable.

- The example of Klimau, when a worker after being injured was thrown out of the plant, where he had been working for 33 years, shows that in case one is not sitting idly by, but fighting for one’s rights, one can elicit the truth. Unfortunately, it has taken more than 4 years for Klimau for that. However, the justice has triumphed. Alyaksandr Klimau has not just proved that he had a heavy injury as a result of an industrial accident, he has overcome the entire system.

The plant, Homel regional directorate of the state department of labour, and the director of this department, Mister Sadounichy, and Labour Minister Maryjanna Shchotkina, whom the chairman of our trade union Henadz Fyadynich addressed – all of them were against the worker. Doctors made him a mistaken diagnosis. We even asked to initiate criminal proceedings against the Head of Thoracic Department of Homel Tuberculosis Hospital, who had been concealing consequences of the injury, basing upon these facts. However, this man didn’t give up, he stayed tall, and he proved to the system that the truth is on his side. The trade union has certainly helped him, however without his will and determination it would be impossible for us. By this example I would like to tell all our workers: do not admit defeat too soon, fight, if you know that you are right, -- Leanid Sudalenka concluded.